A new crackdown on cowboy waste operators will tackle soaring fly-tipping and clean up Britain’s streets, lanes and rural areas, the government has announced.
Councils will work with the police to identify, seize and crush vehicles of waste criminals. Drones and mobile CCTV cameras will be deployed to identify cars and vans belonging to fly-tippers so they can be destroyed.
Ministers have launched a rapid review to slash red tape blocking councils from seizing and crushing vehicles. Councils currently have to bear the significant cost of seizing and storing vehicles but under new plans, being consider by Ministers, fly-tippers will cover this cost, saving councils and taxpayers money.
In addition, waste cowboys will now face up to five years in prison for operating illegally. Any criminals caught transporting and dealing with waste illegally will now face up to five years in prison under new legislation.
Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed said, “Waste criminals and fly-tippers who blight our towns and villages have gone unpunished for too long.
“That ends today. The government is calling time on fly-tipping. I will not stand by while this avalanche of rubbish buries our communities.
“Under the Plan for Change, this government will seize and crush fly-tippers vans’ to clean up Britain’s streets.”
Waste crime is hitting communities across the country. Fly-tipping has skyrocketed by a fifth whilst the number of prosecutions has fallen by the same amount since 2018/19. The failure to punish these criminals has left our high streets, roads and countryside buried under an avalanche of rubbish.
Country Land and Business Association President Victoria Vyvyan said, “We’re pleased to see, following years of campaigning by the CLA, that progress is being made in the fight against fly-tipping, and this news is welcome.
“Rural crime blights the countryside, and action is badly needed. The number of incidents is rising, but enforcement actions, fixed penalty notices and total number of court fines are all down year-on-year. This cannot go on.
“Some local authorities are already seizing vehicles of fly-tippers, but last year two councils accounted for more than 60 per cent of seizures so these powers need to be used much more widely to send a serious message to these environmental criminals.
“The CLA is supportive of closer co-operation and information sharing between the police, local authorities and the Environment Agency to help them identify and prosecute fly-tippers.”
The Environment Agency will also carry out identity and criminal record checks on operators in the sector so there is nowhere to hide for rogue firms.
It will be handed more resources as they will now be able to fund the cost of policing the industry through permits, boosting their powers and cutting costs for taxpayers. The reforms will also give them more power to revoke permits, issue enforcement notices and hefty fines.
Philip Duffy, Environment Agency Chief Executive, said, “Waste crime is toxic. Criminals’ thoughtless actions harm people, places, and the economy, blighting our communities and disrupting legitimate businesses.
“At the Environment Agency, we’re determined to bring these criminals to justice through tough enforcement action and prosecutions. That’s why we support the government’s crackdown on waste criminals, which will ensure we have the right powers to shut rogue operators out of the waste industry.”
Councillor Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, said, “Our residents have had enough of the dumpers who pollute their neighbourhoods with rubbish. These new powers will be a welcome addition to our arsenal, reinforcing our zero-tolerance stance on fly-tipping. We’ve already witnessed the positive impact of our focused efforts, and I am determined to use every tool at our disposal, including seizing vehicles, to reclaim our streets.”
The government is making £69 billion available for council budgets across England, a 6.8 per cent cash terms increase, and bringing forward the first multi-year funding settlement in a decade.